Mercedes of Castile; Or, The Voyage to Cathay

by James Fenimore Cooper

  CHAPTER IX.

  "How beautiful is genius when combined With holiness! Oh! how divinely sweet The tones of earthly harp, whose cords are touch'd By the soft hand of Piety, and hung Upon Religion's shrine, there vibrating With solemn music in the air of God!"

  John Wilson.

  Columbus was received by his friends, Luis de St. Angel and Alonzo deQuintanilla, with a gratification they found it difficult to express.They were loud in their eulogiums on Isabella, and added to theassurances of Don Luis, such proofs of the seriousness of the queen'sintentions, as to remove all doubts from the mind of the navigator. Hewas then, without further delay, conducted to the presence.

  "Senor Colon," said Isabella, as the Genoese advanced and knelt at herfeet, "you are welcome back again. All our misunderstandings are finallyremoved, and henceforth, I trust that we shall act cheerfully andunitedly to produce the same great end. Rise, Senor, and receive this asa gage of my support and friendship."

  Columbus saluted the offered hand, and arose from his knees. At thatinstant, there was probably no one present whose feelings were notraised to the buoyancy of hope; for it was a peculiarity connected withthe origin and execution of this great enterprise, that, after havingbeen urged for so long a period, amid sneers, and doubts, and ridicule,it was at first adopted with something very like enthusiasm.

  "Senora," returned Columbus, whose grave aspect and noble miencontributed not a little to the advancement of his views--"Senora, myheart thanks you for this kindness--so welcome because so little hopedfor this morning--and God will reward it. We have great things inreserve, and I devoutly wish we may all be found equal to our severalduties. I hope my Lord the King will not withhold from my undertakingthe light of his gracious countenance."

  "You are a servitor of Castile, Senor Colon, though little is attemptedfor even this kingdom, without the approbation and consent of the Kingof Aragon. Don Fernando hath been gained over to our side, though hisgreater caution and superior wisdom have not as easily fallen into themeasure, as woman's faith and woman's hopes."

  "I ask no higher wisdom, no truer faith than those of Isabella's," saidthe navigator, with a grave dignity that rendered the compliment so muchthe more acceptable, by giving it every appearance of sincerity. "Herknown prudence shall turn from me the derision of the light-minded andidle, and on her royal word I place all my hopes. Henceforth, and Itrust forever, I am Your Highness' subject and servant."

  The queen was deeply impressed with the air of lofty truth that elevatedthe thoughts and manners of the speaker. Hitherto she had seen butlittle of the navigator, and never before under circumstances thatenabled her so thoroughly to feel the influence of his air anddeportment. Columbus had not the finish of manner that it is fanciedcourts only can bestow, and which it would be more just to refer tolives devoted to habits of pleasing; but the character of the man shonethrough the exterior, and, in his case, all that artificial trainingcould supply fell short of the noble aspect of nature, sustained by highaspirations. To a commanding person, and a gravity that was heightenedby the loftiness of his purposes, Columbus added the sober earnestnessof a deeply-seated and an all-pervading enthusiasm, which threw thegrace of truth and probity on what he said and did. No quality of hismind was more apparent than its sense of right, as right was thenconsidered in connection with the opinions of the age; and it is asingular circumstance that the greatest adventure of modern times wasthus confided by Providence, as it might be with especial objects, tothe care of a sovereign and to the hands of an executive leader, whowere equally distinguished by the possession of so rare acharacteristic.

  "I thank you, Senor, for this proof of confidence," returned the queen,both surprised and gratified; "and so long as God giveth me power todirect, and knowledge to decide, your interests as well as those of thislong-cherished scheme, shall be looked to. But we are not to exclude theking from our confederacy, since he hath been finally gained to ouropinions, and no doubt now as anxiously looketh forward to success as wedo ourselves."

  Columbus bowed his acquiescence, and the conjugal affection of Isabellawas satisfied with this concession to her husband's character andmotives; for, while it was impossible that one so pure and ardent in thecause of virtue, and as disinterested as the queen, should not detectsome of the selfishness of Ferdinand's cautious policy, the feelings ofa wife so far prevailed in her breast over the sagacity of thesovereign, as to leave her blind to faults that the enemies of Aragonwere fond of dwelling on. All admitted the truth of Isabella, butFerdinand had far less credit with his contemporaries, either on thescore of faith or on that of motives. Still he might have been rankedamong the most upright of the reigning princes of Europe, his faultsbeing rendered more conspicuous, perhaps, from being necessarily placedin such close connection with, and in such vivid contrast to, the truervirtues of the queen. In short, these two sovereigns, so intimatelyunited by personal and political interests, merely exhibited on theirthrones a picture that may be seen, at any moment, in all the inferiorgradations of the social scale, in which the worldly views andmeretricious motives of man serve as foils to the truer heart, sincerercharacter, and more chastened conduct of woman.

  Don Fernando now appeared, and he joined in the discourse in a manner toshow that he considered himself fully committed to redeem the pledgesgiven by his wife. The historians have told us that he had been won overby the intercessions of a favorite, though the better opinion would seemto be that deference for Isabella, whose pure earnestness in the causeof virtue often led him from his more selfish policy, lay at the bottomof his compliance. Whatever may have been the motive, however, it iscertain that the king never entered into the undertaking with theardent, zealous endeavors to insure success, which from that momentdistinguished the conduct of his royal consort.

  "We have recovered our truant," said Isabella, as her husbandapproached, her eyes lighting and her cheeks flushed with a piousenthusiasm, like those of Mercedes de Valverde, who was an entrancedwitness of all that was passing. "We have recovered our truant, andthere is not a moment of unnecessary delay to be permitted, until heshall be sent forth on this great voyage. Should he truly attain Cathayand the Indies, it will be a triumph to the church even exceeding thisconquest of the territories of the Moor."

  "I am pleased to see the Senor Colon at Santa Fe, again," courteouslyreturned the king, "and if he but do the half of that thou seemest toexpect, we shall have reason to rejoice that our countenance hath notbeen withheld. He may not render the crown of Castile still morepowerful, but he may so far enrich himself that, as a subject, he willhave difficulty in finding the proper uses for his gold."

  "There will always be a use for the gold of a Christian," answered thenavigator, "while the Infidel remaineth the master of the HolySepulchre."

  "How is this!" exclaimed Ferdinand, in his quick, sharp voice: "dostthou think, Senor, of a crusade, as well as of discovering new regions?"

  "Such, Your Highness, it hath long been my hope, would be the firstappropriation of the wealth that will, out of question, flow from thediscovery of a new and near route to the Indies. Is it not a blot onChristendom that the Mussulman should be permitted to raise his profanealtars on the spot that Christ visited on earth; where, indeed he wasborn, and where his holy remains lay until his glorious resurrection?This foul disgrace there are hearts and swords enough ready to wipe out;all that is wanted is gold. If the first desire of my heart be to becomethe instrument of leading the way to the East, by a western and directpassage, the second is, to see the riches that will certainly followsuch a discovery, devoted to the service of God, by rearing anew hisaltars and reviving his worship, in the land where he endured his agonyand gave up the ghost for the sins of men."

  Isabella smiled at the navigator's enthusiasm, though, sooth to say, thesentiment found something of an echo in her pious bosom; albeit the ageof crusades appeared to have gone by. Not so exactly with Ferdinand. Hesmiled also, but no answering sentiment of holy zeal was awakened withinhi
m. He felt, on the contrary, a strong distrust of the wisdom ofcommitting the care of even two insignificant caravels, and the fate ofa sum as small as three thousand crowns, to a visionary, who hadscarcely made a commencement in one extremely equivocal enterprise,before his thoughts were running on the execution of another, that hadbaffled the united efforts and pious constancy of all Europe. To him,the discovery of a western passage to the Indies, and the repossessionof the holy sepulchre, were results that were equally problematical, andit would have been quite sufficient to incur his distrust, to believe inthe practicability of either. Here, however, was a man who was about toembark in an attempt to execute the first, holding in reserve the last,as a consequence of success in the undertaking in which he was alreadyengaged.

  There were a few minutes, during which Ferdinand seriously contemplatedthe defeat of the Genoese's schemes, and had the discourse terminatedhere, it is uncertain how far his cool and calculating policy might haveprevailed over the good faith, sincere integrity, and newly awakenedenthusiasm of his wife. Fortunately, the conversation had gone on whilehe was meditating on this subject, and when he rejoined the circle hefound the queen and the navigator pursuing the subject with anearnestness that had entirely overlooked his momentary absence.

  "I shall show Your Highness all that she demandeth," continued Columbus,in answer to a question of the queen's. "It is my expectation to reachthe territories of the Great Khan, the descendant of the monarch who wasvisited by the Polos, a century since; at which time a strong desire toembrace the religion of Christ was manifested by many in that gorgeouscourt, the sovereign included. We are told in the sacred books ofprophecy, that the day is to arrive when the whole earth will worshipthe true and living God; and that time, it would seem, from many signsand tokens that are visible to those who seek them, draweth near, and isfull of hope to such as honor God and seek his glory. To bring all thosevast regions in subjection to the church, needeth but a constant faith,sustained by the delegated agencies of the priesthood, and theprotecting hands of princes."

  "This hath a seeming probability," observed the queen, "and Providenceso guide us in this mighty undertaking, that it may come to pass! Werethose Polos pious missionaries, Senor?"

  "They were but travellers; men who sought their own advantage, whilethey were not altogether unmindful of the duties of religion. It may bewell, Senora, first to plant the cross in the islands, and thence tospread the truth over the main land. Cipango, in particular, is apromising region for the commencement of the glorious work, which, nodoubt, will proceed with all the swiftness of a miracle."

  "Is this Cipango known to produce spices, or aught that may serve touphold a sinking treasury, and repay us for so much cost and risk?"asked the king, a little inopportunely for the zeal of the two otherinterlocutors.

  Isabella looked pained, the prevailing trait in Ferdinand's characteroften causing her to feel as affectionate wives are wont to feel whentheir husbands forget to think, act, or speak up to the level of theirown warm-hearted and virtuous propensities; but she suffered no othersign of the passing emotions to escape her.

  "According to the accounts of Marco Polo, Your Highness," answeredColumbus, "earth hath no richer island. It aboundeth especially in gold;nor are pearls and precious stones at all rare. But all that region is aquarter of infinite wealth and benighted infidelity. Providence seemethto have united the first with the last, as a reward to the Christianmonarch who shall use his power to extend the sway of the church. Thesea, thereabouts, is covered with smaller islands, Marco telling us thatno less than seven thousand four hundred and forty have been enumerated,not one of all which doth not produce some odoriferous tree, or plant ofdelicious perfume. It is then, thither, gracious Lord and Lady, myhonored sovereigns, that I propose to proceed at once, leaving allmeaner objects, to exalt the two kingdoms and to serve the church.Should we reach Cipango in safety, as, by the blessing of God, acting ona zeal and faith that are not easily shaken, I trust we shall be able todo, in the course of two months' diligent navigation, it will be my nextpurpose to pass over to the continent, and seek the Khan himself, in hiskingdom of Cathay. The day that my foot touches the land of Asia will bea glorious day for Spain, and for all who have had a part in theaccomplishment of so great an enterprise!"

  Ferdinand's keen eyes were riveted on the navigator, as he thus betrayedhis hopes with the quiet but earnest manner of deep enthusiasm, and hemight have been at a loss, himself, just at that moment, to haveanalyzed his own feelings. The picture of wealth that Columbus hadconjured to his imagination, was as enticing, as his cold andcalculating habits of distrust and caution rendered it questionable.Isabella heard only, or thought only, of the pious longings of her purespirit for the conversion and salvation of the Infidels, and thus eachof the two sovereigns had a favorite impulse to bind him, or her, to theprosecution of the voyage.

  After this, the conversation entered more into details, and the heads ofthe terms demanded by Columbus were gone over again, and approved of bythose who were most interested in the matter. All thought of thearchbishop and his objections was momentarily lost, and had the Genoesebeen a monarch, treating with monarchs, he could not have had morereason to be satisfied with the respectful manner in which his termswere heard. Even his proposal to receive one-eighth of the profits ofthis, and all future expeditions to the places he might discover, oncondition of his advancing an equal proportion of the outfits, wascheerfully acceded to; making him, at once, a partner with the crown, inthe risks and benefits of the many undertakings that it was hoped wouldfollow from the success of this.

  Luis de St. Angel and Alonzo de Quintanilla quitted the royal presence,in company with Columbus. They saw him to his lodgings, and left himwith a respect and cordiality of manner, that cheered a heart which hadlately been so bruised and disappointed. As they walked away in company,the former, who, notwithstanding the liberality of his views and hisstrong support of the navigator, was not apt to suppress his thoughts,opened a dialogue in the following manner.

  "By all the saints! friend Alonzo," he exclaimed, "but this Coloncarrieth it with a high hand among us, and in a way, sometimes, to makeme doubt the prudence of our interference. He hath treated with the twosovereigns like a monarch, and like a monarch hath he carried hispoint!"

  "Who hath aided him more than thyself, friend Luis?" returned

  Alonzo de Quintanilla; "for, without thy bold assault on Dona Isabella'spatience, the matter had been decided against this voyage, and theGenoese would still be on his way to the court of King Louis."

  "I regret it not; the chance of keeping the Frenchman within modestbounds being worth a harder effort. Her Highness--Heaven and all thesaints unite to bless her for her upright intentions and generousthoughts--will never regret the trifling cost, even though bootless,with so great an aim in view. But now the thing is done, I marvel,myself, that a Queen of Castile and a King of Aragon should grant suchconditions to an unknown and nameless sea-farer; one that hath neitherservices, family, nor gold, to recommend him!"

  "Hath he not had Luis de St. Angel of his side?"

  "That hath he," returned the receiver-general, "and that right stoutly,too; and for good and sufficient cause. I only marvel at our success,and at the manner in which this Colon hath borne himself in the affair.I much feared that the high price he set upon his services might ruinall our hopes."

  "And yet thou didst reason with the queen, as if thou thoughtst itinsignificant, compared with the good that would come of the voyage."

  "Is there aught wonderful in this, my worthy friend? We consume ourmeans in efforts to obtain our ends, and, while suffering under theexhaustion, begin first to see the other side of the question. I amchiefly surprised at mine own success! As for this Genoese, he is,truly, a most wonderful man, and, in my heart, I think him right indemanding such high conditions. If he succeed, who so great as he? and,if he fail, the conditions will do him no good, and Castile littleharm."

  "I have remarked, Senor de St Angel, that when grave
men set a lightvalue on themselves, the world is apt to take them at their word, thoughwilling enough to laugh at the pretensions of triflers. After all, thehigh demands of Colon may have done him much service, since theirHighnesses could not but feel that they were negotiating with one whohad faith in his own projects."

  "It is much as thou sayest, Alonzo; men often prizing us as we seem toprize ourselves, so long as we act at all up to the level of ourpretensions. But there is sterling merit in this Colon to sustain him inall that he sayeth and doth; wisdom of speech, dignity and gravity ofmien, and nobleness of feeling and sentiment. Truly, I have listened tothe man when he hath seemed inspired!"

  "Well, he hath now good occasion to manifest whether this inspiration beof the true quality or not," returned the other. "Of a verity, I oftendistrust the wisdom of our own conclusions."

  In this manner did even these two zealous friends of Columbus discusshis character and chances of success; for, while they were among themost decided of his supporters, and had discovered the utmost readinessto uphold him when his cause seemed hopeless, now that the means werelikely to be afforded to allow him to demonstrate the justice of hisopinions, doubts and misgivings beset their minds. Such is human nature.Opposition awakens our zeal, quickens our apprehension, stimulates ourreason, and emboldens our opinions; while, thrown back upon ourselvesfor the proofs of what we have been long stoutly maintaining under thepressure of resistance, we begin to distrust the truth of our owntheories and to dread the demonstrations of a failure. Even the firstdisciples of the Son of God faltered most in their faith as hispredictions were being realized; and most reformers are never sodogmatical and certain as when battling for their principles, or sotimid and wavering as when they are about to put their ownlong-cherished plans in execution. In all this we might see a wiseprovision of Providence, which gives us zeal to overcome difficulties,and prudence when caution and moderation become virtues rather thanfaults.

  Although Luis de St. Angel and his friend conversed thus freelytogether, however, they did not the less continue true to their originalfeelings. Their doubts were transient and of little account; and it wasremarked of them, whenever they were in the presence of Columbushimself, that the calm, steady, but deeply seated enthusiasm of thatextraordinary man, did not fail to carry with him the opinions, not onlyof these steady supporters, but those of most other listeners.